Protective garments, including aprons, have been well used for ages and will continue to be worn into the far future. Although the function of protective garments to protect the wearer and their clothes from incidental marks and stains has remained the same throughout the years, their use and social status has changed with each culture over time. Aprons of the past were largely worn by the working class, servants and the domestically inclined—often out of public site. As a result, protective garments often exhibit simplistic design and utility standards.
From the 1910s through the 1950s, aprons were as much a fashion statement as they were a functional accessory with each era is marked with apron designs that matched the trends of the time. Aprons reached their peak in popularity in the 1950s when they became the symbol of the professional housewife. The apron fell out of favor in the 1960s with the rise of feminism and women's desire to work outside the home. People then either chose not to wear an apron at all, or they often chose the bib apron because its boxy design countered the feminine designs of the 1950s. The bib apron has remained the main apron design offered by the apron market even though our style, taste and lifestyles have changed in the past 60 years.
A broad cross section of people wears protective garments in public settings today. Protective garments are no longer worn in subordination, but in celebration of our own ability to get the job done. For example, television hosts wear aprons on cooking shows, friends wear aprons to host dinner parties, foodies wear aprons to bake, and gardeners wear aprons to harvest. People that wear an apron wear it often; they wear an apron at work, home, studio and stage and may even have an apron that is outfitted specifically for each job at hand. People wear an apron like a functional accessory.
Although our societal preferences have evolved and the jobs we wear an apron for are altogether different than the reasons we wore aprons in past eras, the apron design and utility systems have been updated very little since aprons earliest recordings. Even today the apron design block that dominates the current apron market is a version the waist apron (which covers the front body from the waist down) and the bib apron (which covers the upper and lower front body). These unisex, one-size-fits-all aprons consists of a single fabric panel and trim with suspension and closure systems that work with this design block. This single-panel apron model is made possible thanks to the utility of the tie closure which is often combined with an adjustable neck loop, Y-back, or cross-back suspension that secures the top front apron to the wearer. The waist and bib aprons are tied to fit the wearer—not designed to fit—and thus has all the disadvantages that come with simplistic design and utility solutions.
The tie-back closure system adds bulk to the waistline and creates an unpredictable and unfinished silhouette. In addition, it does not have the apron area or durability needed on the backside of the apron for utilitarian features like pockets, loops and snaps.
Suspending aprons with a neck loop leads to additional problems. The neckline often pops off the chest at the center front for poor draping. Also, the neck loop rests the weight of the apron on the wearer's neck and can contribute to neck pain and headaches with extended and/or frequent use.
Cross-back closure systems are cumbersome to put on and take off. When cross-back aprons are put on, taken off, stored or hung the trim can easily slip out of their grommets or loops. Moreover, the cross-back apron does not have the apron area or durability needed on the backside of the apron for utilitarian features like pockets, loops and snaps.
Y-back suspension systems loop over the wearer's neck and around the waist, resulting in a utility system that looks unresolved. Some newer aprons have a hook or buckle closure system that reduces the bulk at the waist line but do not allow for the apron area or durability on the backside of the apron for utilitarian features like pockets, loops and snaps. In addition, the buckle or hook hardware components are heavy and add weight to the apron.
In sum, the aprons invented thus far are locked into the one-size-fits-all, uni-sex, tie-closure or single-panel apron design block that makes the waist and bib aprons. The market standard in every other area of the consumer's modern life has evolved to a high taste level with refined standards and high- to low-brow subgenres. But this is not the case for the apron market which continues to produce single-panel designs and outdated utility systems. Even the most innovative apron utility inventions will fall short when working within the single-panel apron design block because the consumer and business apron market is vastly different than it was when the apron design and utility system was created.
Today's apron market needs a completely new apron design and utility system that together create a stylish apron that is as well-sculpted as it is functional. Today's consumers need an apron that not only protects their clothing from incidental marks, but they also need an apron that adds a top layer of style to the wearer's overall look like a functional accessory. This new apron needs to be highly wearable, flattering, functional and stylish. This new apron needs to flatter one's figure—male or female—and have predictable drape and a finished silhouette. This new apron needs to be available in sizes so as to achieve a tailored-like fit that is comfortable and flattering. This new apron needs a design and utility system that is engineered at the same time so as to create a completely new apron that addresses both the functional and aesthetic needs of today's modern doers.